Feeling Isaac's effects

I had hoped to feel some long-distance effects from Hurricane Isaac in the form of some rain. Instead, we're feeling the effects at -- where else? -- the gas pump.

Just last week, gas prices were hovering around $3.31 a gallon. Then it shot up to around $3.46. This morning, it was in the mid-$3.50s.

As Hurricane Isaac battered the nation's oil and gas regions along the Gulf Coast this week, it has caused the biggest one-day jump in gasoline prices in 18 months as the Labor Day weekend approaches, according to the Associated Press.

The national average price of a gallon of gas jumped almost five cents Wednesday to $3.80, the highest ever for this date.

The wide storm shut down several refineries along the Gulf Coast and others are operating at a reduced rate. In all, about 1.3 million barrels of refining capacity has been affected.

In Amarillo on Thursday morning, prices ranged from $3.49 to $3.55 a gallon, reported GasBuddy.com. An Exxon in Canyon had gas at $3.79 a gallon.

A month ago, the average price in Amarillo was $3.28.

For Aggies everywhere, the effects of Hurricane Isaac extend beyond the pump. The much-anticipated football opener tonight in Shreveport against Louisiana Tech has been postponed until October when both teams had an open date.

That means Texas A&M's first game in next Saturday in its first-ever SEC game with Florida at Kyle Field. It also means the Aggies will have a brutal stretch of games in October with no off week.

Then again, small price for all of us to pay who were not directly in the path of Isaac.